Sure, it's partially because I love the City--because I'm an urban creature and NYC is the urban I love the best-- but that's not all.
I totally admit that I have a bad habit of living in the future. Most of what's on the radio is music that I associate with the past, not the life I'm living now. As such, I'd totally be pleased to see new things at CMJ, and revisit a few old favorites.
TRIAL RUNS: BANDS I HAVEN'T SEEN
If I were going to CMJ 2011, I'd totally want to check out: super-cute Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr and the Miniature Tigers (who both played ACL 2011, though I was busy elsewhere) Fresh Millions, Givers (whom my friends have been raving about), Metronomy, Wild Flag, Morning After Girls, The Wombats, Locksley and J Mascis (whom I'm kind of ashamed that I've never seen, even though I've loved Dinosaur Jr since the dawn of time.)
SECOND CHANCES: BANDS THAT HAVE GOOD PRESS BUT I MIGHT HAVE SEEN AN OFF SHOW
At CMJ I might check out bands who didn't blow me away the first time, but whom I have real hope that the intervening years might have taken to the next level: Titus Andronicus (sloppy and possibly drunk the first time I saw them at a late show on Saturday night at SXSW 2009--which I'd REALLY been looking forward to-- but they've gotten lots of buzz since then), Heloise & The Savoir Faire*, Robbers on High Street (I totally love one of their albums, but, again, they were sloppy and I suspect they were drunk the first time I saw them, years ago at a Fun Fun Fun Fest preshow at the Mohawk in 2008.)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are nice, and I'd likely catch them again. Truthfully, I don't know how much effort I'd make to see them twice, though I enjoyed them at Fun Fun Fun Fest.
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| Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Fun Fun Fun Fest |
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| Heloise & The Savoir Faire at a SXSW day party, 2008. |
****MY BANDS NOT TO MISS AT CMJ 11!****:
Of course, there is no way I'd miss seeing the bands I love playing the festival: Twin Shadow, Cloud Nothings, Peelander Z, Shonen Knife, Willie Nile.
While I love singer/songwriter Willie Nile--as does my dad-- I've never seen him live. In this fantasy of me getting to CMJ this year, I suspect Nile would be the only act here that I'd be willing to stand in line in the cold to see. He might be great live, or he might be awful. But since I've driven across the USA with his CD on repeat, I'd really, really try to get in the door.
I'd try to catch We are Scientists again, and I'd try even harder to see Portugal. The Man another time. (They sound great, and their singer John is adorable!)
Depending on time and logistics, I might try and catch Duke Spirit, We Are Augustines, Chairlift, Neon Indian, Gang Gang Dance and Ziggy Marley.
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| John of Portugal. The Man. I think I'm in love. |
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| Portugal. The Man at Waterloo Records, October 2011 |
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| Twin Shadow at the 2011 SXSW Austinist Day Party at the Mohawk. |
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| Cloud Nothings at the 2011 Austinist Party |
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| Cloud Nothings. Note the big 'X' on the underage singer. |
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| Peelander Yellow from the band Peelander Z showing off his dental work while posing with a picture of himself after playing Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas in 2010. |
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| Shonen Knife band member, during their show at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009. |
And when I was in NYC, I'd totally eat at John's Pizzeria on Bleeker, the new digs of the fancy Swedish resturant Aquavit, and maybe even old-school steakhouse Peter Luger, if, oddly I happened to be in a mood for meat when I was in the city.
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| Clap Your Hands Say Yeah |
If you want to send me to CMJ--and you are willing to loan me your private plane so that I don't have to fly commercial--let me know. Because that's the only way I could fit this into my October schedule!
*Back in 2008, I saw Heloise & The Savoir Faire at a Bust Magazine SXSW crafty party where actor Elijah Wood was DJing from his ipod. That's a day that deserves a blog post of its own. Maybe someday it will have one...
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